Factors Affecting Student Tolerance for Free-Roaming Cats

Wald, Dara M.; Jacobson, Susan K.

doi:10.1080/10871209.2013.787660

Cited by 18 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Because our model was evaluated with a sample of active stakeholders, it is currently limited in its generalizability to the public, who may or may not posses the same level of interest or knowledge about the management of outdoor cats. However, previous research findings have suggested that many of the variables included in this model are important predictors of management preference for the public, and that attitude-based models are a better predictor of management preference than models focused on demographic variables, experiences and knowledge [7], [14], [17]. Future research should explore the applicability of this model to a sample of the general public.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Numerous studies in the wildlife management literature have recognized the potential benefits individuals perceive from animals (e.g., aesthetic enjoyment and recreational benefits) [4]. This is also true for outdoor cats; college students, caregivers and the public express widespread favorable feelings for these animals [17], [19], [21]. Therefore, our survey included questions about both negative and positive cat-related impacts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our model is based on the framework of the cognitive hierarchy [26] and uses previously validated multi-item scales [17]. The cognitive hierarchy suggests a hierarchical relationship between cognitions [27]–[30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Multivariate Model of Stakeholder Preference for Lethal Cat Management

Wald

Jacobson

2014

PLoS ONE

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Identifying stakeholder beliefs and attitudes is critical for resolving management conflicts. Debate over outdoor cat management is often described as a conflict between two groups, environmental advocates and animal welfare advocates, but little is known about the variables predicting differences among these critical stakeholder groups. We administered a mail survey to randomly selected stakeholders representing both of these groups (n = 1,596) in Florida, where contention over the management of outdoor cats has been widespread. We used a structural equation model to evaluate stakeholder intention to support non-lethal management. The cognitive hierarchy model predicted that values influenced beliefs, which predicted general and specific attitudes, which in turn, influenced behavioral intentions. We posited that specific attitudes would mediate the effect of general attitudes, beliefs, and values on management support. Model fit statistics suggested that the final model fit the data well (CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.062). The final model explained 74% of the variance in management support, and positive attitudes toward lethal management (humaneness) had the largest direct effect on management support. Specific attitudes toward lethal management and general attitudes toward outdoor cats mediated the relationship between positive (p<0.05) and negative cat-related impact beliefs (p<0.05) and support for management. These results supported the specificity hypothesis and the use of the cognitive hierarchy to assess stakeholder intention to support non-lethal cat management. Our findings suggest that stakeholders can simultaneously perceive both positive and negative beliefs about outdoor cats, which influence attitudes toward and support for non-lethal management.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Multivariate Model of Stakeholder Preference for Lethal Cat Management

Wald

Jacobson

2014

PLoS ONE

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“…The relationship between attitudes toward cats and tolerance for cats (i.e., cat acceptance capacity [CAC]) is partially mediated by perceived benefits to people from outdoor cats. Moreover, tolerance for cats can be associated with attitudes toward cat management (Wald & Jacobson ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Risk perceptions and CAC are influenced by contextual variables, including political, cultural, and social factors; biological environments; experiences with cats; perceptions of the local cat population; and the frequency with which one sees cats (Wald & Jacobson ; Lohr et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of cat‐related risk perceptions and tolerance for outdoor cats in Florida and Hawaii

Wald¹,

Lohr²,

Lepczyk

et al. 2016

Conservation Biology

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Risk perceptions and attitudes toward animals often explain tolerance for wildlife and management preferences. However, little is understood about how these relationships vary across different geographic regions and stakeholder groups. To address this gap in knowledge, we compared differences in acceptance capacity, risk perceptions, perceived enjoyment from outdoor cats, and experiences with outdoor cats among 3 groups (general public, conservation community, and animal-welfare community) in Hawaii and Florida, two states with large conservation challenges. We combined independently collected data from Florida and Hawaii, to determine how perception of the risks presented by outdoor cats, group membership, and state of residence influenced people's tolerance for outdoor cats. Florida respondents were significantly more tolerant of outdoor cats and less concerned about cat-related risks than Hawaii respondents (p < 0.05). In both states, animal-welfare group members reported greater enjoyment seeing cats and perceived a smaller increase in the cat population and lower levels of risk than other groups (p < 0.05). All groups exhibited similar relationships between acceptance capacity and enjoyment and the perceived increase in the cat population. Our results suggest public tolerance for cats varied due to the influence of local or geographical concerns, but that strongly held beliefs, risk perceptions, and feelings about cats explained more of the variance in stakeholder tolerance.

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Addressing the challenge of wildlife conservation in urban landscapes by increasing human tolerance for wildlife

Puri,

Johannsen,

Goode

et al. 2024

People and Nature

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Urbanization is a key driver of global environmental change and is adversely impacting wildlife populations. Human tolerance for wildlife is critical to wildlife conservation in urban areas. Using metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, United States, as a case study, we investigated human tolerance for a range of different wildlife species. Almost half of the human–wildlife interactions that are reported to the state wildlife agency originate from metropolitan Atlanta, which is one of the fastest growing metropolises in the United States. We surveyed a representative sample of 1006 residents of metropolitan Atlanta in 2022. We found heterogeneity in respondents' tolerance for various species, although most respondents were intolerant of bobcats, coyotes, opossums and snakes. Respondents' tolerance for different species largely depended on their attitudes and emotions towards species, and their basic beliefs pertaining to wildlife and the relationships between humans and wildlife. We found some evidence that tolerance also depended on people's prior interactions with wildlife, their beliefs that they can mitigate conflicts with wildlife and their demographic characteristics. Our results suggest that communication that improves urban residents' attitudes towards wildlife and/or reinforces positive emotions towards wildlife may increase wildlife tolerance in urban areas. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Factors Affecting Student Tolerance for Free-Roaming Cats

Cited by 18 publications

References 23 publications

A Multivariate Model of Stakeholder Preference for Lethal Cat Management

A Multivariate Model of Stakeholder Preference for Lethal Cat Management

A comparison of cat‐related risk perceptions and tolerance for outdoor cats in Florida and Hawaii

Addressing the challenge of wildlife conservation in urban landscapes by increasing human tolerance for wildlife

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